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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · rule · fan · bulb · nail · march · mouse · can

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. march — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — a law
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — government
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com